Car Hire Alicante Airport – How to Get the Best Deal

Alicante on Spain´s Costa Brava is a very popular holiday destination because of its sun-soaked beaches, warm temperatures and easy access from Ireland and the UK. As you would imagine from such a popular destination, car hire from Alicante Airport is easy to organize and there are many car rental providers, which means that you can search for value. If you are looking to save money on your hire car, then read on to learn a few of the best secrets to getting the best deal.

The two biggest tips we can give you are:

1. Book early

Booking early is one of the biggest keys to getting a good deal on car hire Alicante airport because, like the airlines, prices on car rental tend to increase as you near the pick-up date. Don’t just walk up to the desk and hope to drive away in a car after securing a good deal, you pay a premium price for same day rental and pick-up. I always book my rental car the same day I book my flight so I can get the cheapest price or the best deal. Just as an example, if I were to book a rental car today on Car Booker for early July (2 months in advance), then car prices start at €30.80 for a one-week rental on a Volkswagen Polo. That´s a seriously cheap car rental offer!

2. Compare, compare, compare

Compare, compare, compare sounds exhausting, but nowadays there are so many websites who do all the work for you, so this is a hassle-free part of the process. I always use Car Booker and they do the work for me. I can compare all the car hire providers at Alicante airport in one place. It is also very easy to pick which car class I want and which pick-up option I would like. I travel a lot with my kids in tow, so I usually go for a compact car class or bigger so that we have 5 doors and space for the bags. Where price permits, I always opt for an in-terminal car pick-up, so that I don’t have to get on a bus and go to an offsite location to get the car. However, the terminal pick-up is often more expensive, so I evaluate if it is worth the extra cost.

Now that I have decided the basics, I can look at getting the best deal by comparing a few of the companies. It´s is always important to look at the end price with the extras, and not just the initial basic price. I ask myself a few questions:

Are there are any special offers in place for car hire Alicante Airport?

I am always on the lookout for special offers available on car hire Alicante airport. At the moment there are great deals on Free Additional drivers, which is great if you want to split the driving with a partner or friend without paying the usual daily fees. This seems to be a very popular car hire deal at the moment in Alicante and is offered by almost all of the car rental companies operating at the Airport, including big brands like Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt, and Thrifty. This could save you up to €49/55,65 per rental.

There is also an offer on express check-in, which doesn’t save you money, but could save you a lot of time when you land, as you can go into the priority queue and avoid a long waiting time when the airport is really busy. The only company offering this at the moment are Rhodium.

Another offer in place at the moment is that you are guaranteed to get the make and model of car that you book. While for some people this can be very important, this is not really a deal closer for me! There is a 7 Seater Zafira available at the moment for €186.43 for a week in July, however, if I want to guarantee that it is a Zafira, then I pay €215.92! Personally, I just want to be guaranteed that it is a 7 seater, the exact make a model are not so important.

The last offer in place at the moment is a 20% discount on your hire car, there are three brands providing this offer; Goldcar, Record, and Rhodium, so if the price is your biggest priority then these are the car rentals companies to look at.

What extras do I need with my rental car?

When I need extras with my rental cars, such as child car seats or a GPS or an Additional Driver.

As we said, in Alicante there are lots of companies offering a Free additional driver this summer, so chose of those providers when you compare.

If it is a child seat that you need, then look at the prices each provider is offering before you pick your car. I compared a few providers and prices for Child Seats in Alicante vary from €49 to €98 per hire. This is a big price difference.

Decide if you really need a GPS. I usually use my phone as I don’t have to pay roaming charges, but you can check that with your phone provider. Otherwise, expect to pay from between €49 to €144 per rental for GPS. That´s a lot of money, so ask yourself, do you really need it or can you use GPS on your phone or bring a GPS with you?!

Are there any age requirements for my car hire in Alicante Airport?

There seems to differing rules for the age of drivers hiring a car in Alicante airport. Standard is that drivers should be over 25 years of age. Any driver from 21-25 years old is subject to a young driver supplement, the cost of this supplement varies by company from €7.95 per day to €27.85 per day, so it is worth comparing a few of the companies before you book.

The upper age limit on drivers is also quite varied, some providers only allow drivers to 74 years of age, while others say 80 years of age and another 99 years of age. However, it could be that any driver of 75 and old is subjected to a fee similar to the young driver supplement. So please be aware before you book.

As you can see, it pays to spend a little time comparing the providers of car hire Alicante airport. There are big savings to be made, and the tools on the website like Car Booker make this really easy for you to do. Happy bargain hunting and safe driving!